Ham Pasta Salad With Ranch Dressing
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This creamy and cheesy ham pasta salad recipe is the perfect spring and summer supper. Who can say no to a dish overflowing with tender smoked ham, pasta, lots of fresh veggies, and ranch dressing?
The question I’ve been asked the most this week amid record high temperatures is “What can I cook for supper that won’t heat up the kitchen?”. So I whipped up one of my favorite pasta salads to post for ya real quick. This one is filled with smoked ham (the smoked part is important), tomatoes, cucumbers, English peas (I guess that means they talk with a British accent), cheese, and bowtie pasta. It’s all tied together with a creamy ranch dressing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to whip up this quick and easy ham pasta salad recipe. Chop the ham and veggies while the pasta boils, then combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or several to let all the flavors mingle and voila, that’s how you make my creamy ham pasta salad.
Now, before we go further, I just wanna say these are my ingredients. But feel free to alter the recipe to use up what you have on hand or to suit your personal tastes. If you don’t like cucumber, leave it out. Alternatively, if you can’t get enough of carrot, pop them in. If this cold pasta salad doesn’t suit your family’s tastes, don’t fret because they’re not the ones making this ~grins~. It’s good to be the cook!
Let’s make supper.. or lunch… or a mid-day snack.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bowtie pasta
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Grape tomatoes
- Frozen peas
- Bell pepper
- Cucumber
- Ranch dressing
- Smoked ham
How to Make Ham Pasta Salad
First, we’re going to boil our pasta according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and pour running cold water over pasta, while stirring, until completely cooled. Allow the pasta to drain fully before pouring it into a large bowl.
While that’s boiling, dice up your ham into nice bite-sized pieces or smaller, peel and chop up cucumber, and chop up your bell pepper.
Now we’re going to combine everything in a big ol’ bowl. First goes the pasta.
Then add the ham…
the shredded cheddar cheese…
the thawed frozen peas…
the cucumber…
the bell pepper…
the grape tomatoes…
and finally, add in your dressing.
Now we’re going to stir up our ham pasta salad really well.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve.
If you’re hungry, eat some now and I won’t tell.
Dig in!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- There are so many ways to make this ham and cheese pasta salad recipe your own. Let’s take a look:
- Use whatever meat you like. This might be shredded chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey breast, leftover ham, or cooked bacon.
- Add whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you like as well. Some other suggestions include corn, red onion or green onion, broccoli, and celery.
- Use a different salad dressing. Many recipes opt for just mayonnaise or Italian dressing.
- Use half cheddar cheese and half shredded parmesan cheese if you like.
- For pickle fans, add 1/2 cup of drained dill pickle relish.
- Use whatever small pasta you have on hand, whether that’s elbow macaroni pasta, small shell pasta, or rotini.
- Whenever I need smoked ham for a quick recipe, I just go to the deli counter and ask for a single slice that is about 1/2-inch thick. That is the perfect size for dicing up and using in recipes. The smoked ham adds a wonderful flavor to this meal.
- You don’t need to cook the frozen peas. Just let them thaw a bit while you prepare this and they’ll be fine.
Check out these other sensational salad recipes:
Old-Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
Recipe for Caprese Salad with Chicken and Avocado
Chicken Salad Recipe for Sandwiches
Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Raisins
The BEST German Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box bowtie pasta 1 pound
- 1-2 cups diced smoked ham
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed slightly
- 1 peeled and chopped large cucumber
- 1/2 diced bell pepper
- 1-2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and pour running cold water over pasta, while stirring, until completely cooled. Allow the pasta to drain fully before pouring it into a large bowl.1 box bowtie pasta
- Add all other ingredients to the large bowl and stir until well combined.1-2 cups diced smoked ham, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 peeled and chopped large cucumber, 1/2 diced bell pepper, 1 cup buttermilk ranch dressing, 1-2 cups grape tomatoes
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps well for three days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
I’m grateful that (so far) I have the control to keep my mouth shut when I should and keep my fingers off the keyboard….I just keep saying “This too shall pass”. I focus on my blessings over and over when my struggle tries to take over.
Thanks for a delicious-looking recipe and looks easy to make.
I am so thankful for my raising and the huge family of my Mama, sister, brothers, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and more cousins.( My Dad died when I was 4.) But they ranged in age ,when I was growing up, from 80’s to newborn and we were all loved and tended to by all the older ones. I was taught honesty, loyalty, character, to love GOD, family and country and our fellow man. Nobody had a/c then, not homes, schools, cars or churches but we did have ice tea, ice cream, cold watermelons, and shade trees and swimming pools at the park. I am so thankful that I was brought up in a family that sang, laughed, loved and cried with all their hearts and still do to this day. We have more money now and bigger air conditioned houses with indoor plumbing but I would trade it all to have all those “seniors” again to sing their songs and tell their stories and love us like we were angels from heaven
This is a great reminder to always be grateful. I wake each morning with a thank you to my heavenly Father for my job, home, cars, my children, church and on and on. A few days ago as I fixed my coffee, I stopped and said Thank you for hot and cold running water. Many things we often take for granted, especially air conditioning and refrigerators and heat in the winter….God bless you.
I am grateful for all our God has given us (even the heat. I thank my husbund that gets up each day and goes to work. I thank God for the freedoms we enjoy and the brave men and women that serve to keep us free. I pray we may continue to have our freedoms. I can remember when we did not have air conditioning only one small round type fan, and we were thankful for that. I remember having only an icebox, it would not keep ice cream well. Once in a while my mother would buy us a popsicle to have something cool in the evening to look forward to. I remember when we would sleep on the porch where it was cooler ( that was at a time when it was safe to do so). I sometimes miss my youth, but I LOVE THE AC.
This is a great recipe! Made it for the 4th of July and everyone loved it. It sure makes a lot and I will be having it for lunch today. This is definitely a recipe I will be making again.
This is a wonderful recipe! In fact I’m eating the very last serving of it for lunch right now. I’ve only recently found your Web site, Christy, and really enjoy it.
Welcome to Southern plate Heidi!!! I am so glad to hear that you liked the salad!!
We are making the Pasta Salad for the 4th of July. Thank you so much and also for reminding us of how Blessed we truely are. I am Grateful for this very privilege I am using now-Being able to be a part of your life and we live so far apart. The internet is a wonderful thing! Thank you for sharing with us.
Also in this hot weather I have been freezing bannans in a ziploc and when I am outside I will get one and eat it is so refreshing and healthy! I will usually cut them in half when I freeze them a half is enough it is like having a popscile.
Have a wonderful 4th of July, May God bless each and everyone.
Rena